Video: Celebrities pay tribute to Nelson Mandela ahead of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

The special video has been put together to coincide with the release of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Friday 03 January 2014 13:29 GMT
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Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela in 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom'
Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela in 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' (Keith Bernstein)

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From journalist Jon Snow to singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé, famous faces from across Britain have paid tribute to Nelson Mandela in a special video.

The tribute coincides with the release of the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, charting the former South African President's life from his childhood to his incarceration and eventual freedom. Directed by Justin Chadwick, the film stars Idris Elba as Mandela and Naomie Harris as his wife Winnie.

In the short video, famous personalities recite one of Mandela's best loved quotes: "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

The quote is interspersed with touching tributes to Mandela, including one from his daughter Zindzi Mandela. She poignantly says: "You have inspired me Madiba to find expression, to have confidence in myself, to fight for my beliefs, that it's better to die for what I believe in than to live for nothing, and for that I love you eternally."

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is out in cinemas now

Read more: Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, film review

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